LEGO® Ideas has fast become the most varied and inventive of the current LEGO themes. The 34th fan project to become an official LEGO set is based on the classic English tale of Pooh Bear and his Hundred Acre Wood chums. Pooh first had a rumbly in his tumbly back in the 1920s, in A. A. Milne’s book, with Pooh’s adventures lovely brought to life through E. H. Shepard’s beautiful illustrations. Many will also know of Winnie the Pooh honey hunting adventures through the various Disney animations, which acts as inspiration for this set. The original project was created by fan builder Ben Alder and his family, who wanted to share their collective love of that silly old bear through LEGO bricks. I’ve had the set since it was released but only just got around to building it, so thought I’d give it a short review as well. So here are my thoughts on the latest LEGO Ideas set – 21326: Winnie the Pooh.
Product Description
Take time out and rekindle joyful childhood memories with this LEGO® Ideas set (21326) featuring Disney’s Winnie the Pooh and a delightful LEGO brick recreation of Pooh Bear’s house under a big oak tree in Hundred Acre Wood. Great to build alone or with family, the house opens at the back for easy access to the authentic details inside, including Pooh’s buildable armchair, Pooh-Coo clock, Poohsticks, honey pot elements and much more. You can also create the effect of bees flying around beehives in the branches of the tree, like in the stories.
- Set Name: LEGO Ideas Winnie the Pooh
- Set Number: 21326
- Pieces: 1265
- RRP: £89.99/$99.99/99.99€
- Measurements: measures over 9 in. (24 cm) high, 7 in. (18 cm) wide and 8 in. (22 cm) deep
- Minifigures: Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, Rabbit and Eeyore figure
- Availability: LEGO.com, LEGO Stores & LEGO Retailers
The Build
I must admit I was surprised by the Winnie the Pooh project being chosen to become a set. That’s not because of issues with the original project. To do it justice it needed new moulds, something not normally done with Ideas sets and then there’s China. Winnie the Pooh isn’t overly loved by certain people in the Far East and in some cases outlawed, yet China has become a key market for the LEGO Group. But would do I know, thankfully Winnie the Pooh joins an ever-growing line-up of much-loved Disney characters to inspire LEGO creations.
The set features Pooh Bear’s home, which is built within the roots of a tree. Despite the sets minimal size, there is a surprising amount of detail built into it. The grassy mounds on either side of the entrance to Pooh’s home are a particularly wonderful feature. I love how they are constructed and they remind me of one of my first ‘big’ sets, An Unexpected Journey from the LEGO Hobbit theme.
The entrance doorway, which is set within the thunk of the tree, leads into a small house. This is split into two sections, when they are connected together, they form a small cottage-like building, which sits behind the tree. When opened, you gain access to the interior of Pooh’s house and the look of the set changes.
Although the space inside is quite limited, it’s still nicely detailed, with a kitchen on the left-hand side and a bed on the right-hand side. All the little details associated with the books are present such as Pooh’s mirror, a Pooh-koo clock and in the areas under the roof, jars of honey and a box of Pooh Sticks.
For me, the most impressive part of the build is the leafy branches of the tree. Each limb is created in exactly the same way, using a green coral piece and a mixture of different coloured green leaf pieces. These are then connected to the tree via a Technic balljoint pin. This results in a very stable and poseable connection. I wish a similar connection was used for the LEGO Ideas Tree House, it’s an amazing set but the leaves often stray. Which isn’t an issue with Pooh’s tree.
These are plenty of little flourishes which really round off the set and give it some wonderful character. Simple things like different coloured tiles on the roof and a sprinkling of fallen leaves. In the branches of the tree, you’ll find a couple of beehives, with plenty of bees busy buzzing around them. In the little area around the front of the house are toadstools, a great little snail and a cosy fire for Pooh and his friends to snuggle up around.
The Minifigures
Many Minifigures who are inspired by animated characters don’t always pull off the LEGO look. So to fully capture the appearances of Pooh and friends, specially created heads would be the only way to go and quite surprisingly every character has one. Piglet, Rabbit, Trigger and Pooh all have well crafted new heads similar to those introduced for other Disney characters as well as others such as The Simpsons, Looney Tunes and Trolls.
For the most part, the Minifigures look great, with the combination of their special head elements and standard Minifigures pieces. The only one who doesn’t look the best is Pooh Bear, the slender torso of a Minifigure doesn’t suit tubby characters. The print detail tries its best to show the bump of his honey-filled tummy, but it’s still not great. I’m also surprised we have been treated to a completely new figure for Eeyore. There is no possible way to faithfully pull of the character’s solemn slump without being a new element. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see additional sets based on Winnie the Pooh in the future, it seems a shame to create such wonderful new moulds for a single set.
Overall
The stories of Winnie the Pooh are timeless classics and they have delighted families for generations. Translating these into an equally delightful little LEGO set has resulted in a visually pleasing and engaging build. Having the original fan designers backstory weaved into the set makes it even more special. Ben and his family have been entertained by silly old Pooh for many years and now other families and LEGO fans can also share their own special moments with this set. The pricing may seem a little steep for what is essentially a small set, but you are getting five unique characters and there is plenty of details built into the set. LEGO Ideas continues to be an impressive source of wonderfully diverse builds and this set is another example of that.
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